Martiges Viaduct
The Martiges Viaduct is a concrete arch bridge in the Sint-Willemstad Parish that crosses the Martiges River. Located west of Drenthe on the B5 motorway, connecting Drenthe and Sint-Willemstad, the bridge was built between 1989 and 1995; it was one of the largest engineering works ever undertaken in Brunant. It is one of only four bridges crossing the river. The Martiges Viaduct is both the longest and highest bridge in Brunant. History In the late 19th century, an attempt was made to built a bridge crossing the Martiges to connect Drenthe with western Brunant, but the depth and width of the gorges of the river made it too difficult to build such an enormous viaduct. In the 1960s, two bridges crossing the river were built, the Bergen Bridge near Littles, and the Alsemberg Viaduct near the locality of Martiges. Drenthe was now much better connected to western Brunant, but to reach the localities south of the river, one had to take the Alsemberg Viaduct, many kilometers to the west. The shortest route to reach the southern part of Drenthe Parish from the northern part and vice versa was a ferry that operated between Caster and Nieuw Friesland. This ferry still operates as of . The planning for a bridge with a faster connection already began in the 1970s, though financial considerations prevented such a problem from going on in 1981. There was a significant opposition within Sint-Willemstad against the construction of a bridge that would be advantageous mainly for the inhabitants of Drenthe Parish. Sint-Willemstad and Drenthe had a poor transport connection; the B5 connected both cities, but cars had to use a ferry. An agreement was made between both parishes to re-construct part of the B5. The viaduct would be located in Sint-Willemstad Parish, meaning that the financial costs would also be paid by Sint-Willemstad. Actual work on the bridge began in 1989, continuing through 1995. Brunanter firm Palisade was selected to build the bridge, working with British firm Flint & Neill, which had some expertise in bridge building. The designer of the bridge was Traspesian engineer Juana Iriondo. Environmental organisations felt the bridge would damage the local ecosystem and lead to more traffic in the area, but supporters of the viaduct replied that a better link to Drenthe and neighbouring localities was preferred over a ferry. The cost of the bridge was also a major point of concern, which ended up at some 80,000,000 euros. Part of the cost was offset by implementing a toll, which operated from 1995 to 2005. Location The Martiges Viaduct is located over the Martiges River in Sint-Willemstad Parish. It is located 1.5 kilometers west of the border with Drenthe Parish. The bridge is located in a farming area and is the largest structure dominating the regional landscape. This is the last bridge crossing the Martiges before it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The viaduct greatly improves traffic flow and travel time along the B5 road. Prior to its construction, a ferry was used. Gallery Martiges Viaduct construction.jpg|Construction work Martiges viaduct aerial view.png|Aerial view of the bridge Category:Bridges Category:Sint-Willemstad Parish